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UNIVERSITY    OF    ILLINOIS    LIBRARY    AT    URBANA-CHAMPAIGN 


DEC  01 


L161— O-1096 


GOVERNORS 

OF 

ILLINOIS 

1818-1918 


Issued  by  the 

Illinois  Centennial 

Commission 


0  192 


THE   GOVERNORS  OF  ILLINOIS 
1818-1918 


Issued  by  the 

Illinois  Centennial  Commission 


c* 


4. 


ILLINOIS  DAY 

December  3,  1917. 

Music — Star  Spangled  Banner. 
Invocation — Rev.  Frederic  Siedenburg. 

Introduction  of  Governor  Lowden,  who  will  preside — Doctor 
Otto  L.  Schmidt,  Chairman  Illinois  Centennial  Commis- 
sion. 

Hon.    Frank  O.  Lowden — The  Illinois  Centennial. 

Hon.    Charles  S.   Deneen — The  Pioneer  State. 

Centennial  Poem — Mr.  Wallace  Rice. 

Hon.    Joseph  W.   Fifer — Illinois  in  the  Civil  War. 

Hon.    Edward   F.    Dunne — Illinois'   Men   of  Eloquence. 

Hon.    Richard   Yates — Illinois   To-day. 

Music — Illinois. 


SHADRACH  BOND, 

Governor  of  Illinois,    1818-1822. 
Pierre  Menard,  Lieutenant  Governor. 

Shadrach  Bond,  the  first  Governor  of  Illinois  was  born  at 
Fredericktown,  Frederick  County,  Maryland,  November  24, 
1  773.  He  came  to  Illinois  in  1  794  and  for  a  time  resided 
with  his  uncle,  Shadrach  Bond,  Sr.,  a  veteran  of  the  Revolu- 
tionary War,  in  what  is  now  Monroe  County  but  was  then  a 
part  of  St.  Clair  County.  Later  he  engaged  in  farming  at 
New  Design. 

On  November  27,  1810,  he  was  married  at  Nashville, 
Tennessee,  to  Miss  Achsah  Bond,  a  distant  relative. 

In  May,  1805,  Mr.  Bond  was  elected  to  fill  a  vacancy  in 
the  Indiana  territorial  assembly.  Illinois  was  then  embraced 
in  Indiana  territory,  but  the  two  states  were  separated  in  1809, 
and  Mr.  Bond  took  an  active  part  in  this  legislation. 

At  the  outbreak  of  the  War  of  1812,  he  enlisted  as  a  pri- 
vate and  by  gallant  service,  rose  to  the  rank  of  colonel.  The 
same  year,  he  was  elected  to  Congress  as  the  first  territorial 
delegate  from  Illinois,  and  he  left  the  army  to  enter  Congress, 
serving  in  the  Twelfth  and  Thirteenth  Congresses,  from  De- 
cember 3,  1  8  1  2  to  October  3,  1814.  He  was  appointed  re- 
ceiver of  public  money  for  the  territory  of  Illinois  in  1814  and 
removed  to  Kaskaskia  to  take  charge  of  this  office. 

When  Illinois  was  admitted  to  the  Federal  Union  as  a 
State,  Shadrach  Bond  was  elected  its  first  Governor.  He  was 
inaugurated  at  Kaskaskia,  October  6,  1818. 

Governor  Bond  died  at  his  residence  near  Kaskaskia, 
April  12,  1832.  He  is  buried  at  Chester,  Illinois,  where  the 
State  has  erected  a  modest  monument. 

Very  little  has  been  written  about  the  life  and  services  of 
Governor  Bond.  Kinnie  A.  Ostewig  of  Lee  County  has  writ- 
ten a  sketch  of  his  life  which  will  be  published  by  the  State 
Historical  Society. 


EDWARD  COLES,   1822-1826. 

Adolphus  F.  Hubbard,  Lieutenant  Governor. 

Edward  Coles  was  born  December  15,  1786,  in  Albe- 
marle  County,  Virginia.  He  was  educated  at  Hampton  Sid- 
ney College  and  William  and  Mary  College. 

He  was  the  private  secretary  of  President  James  Madison, 
from  1  8  1  0  to  1816,  who  in  1816  sent  him  to  Russia  as  a  spe- 
cial messenger  on  an  important  diplomatic  mission.  In  1815, 
Mr.  Coles  made  a  visit  to  Illinois,  and  another  in  1818.  He 
left  his  Virginia  home  April  1 ,  1819,  having  been  appointed 
Register  of  the  Land  Office  at  Edwardsville,  Illinois.  He 
brought  with  him  a  number  of  slaves  whom  he  had  inherited, 
and  came  to  Edwardsville,  Madison  County.  When  on  the 
way  to  Illinois  he  set  his  slaves  free  when  he  reached  free  terri- 
tory. This  act  caused  him  endless  embarrassment  and  annoy- 
ance during  his  subsequent  life  in  Illinois.  In  this  important 
office  he  made  many  acquaintances,  and  friends.  He  was 
elected  Governor  of  the  State  in  1822. 

During  his  term  of  office  occurred  the  great  struggle  to 
amend  the  Constitution  of  the  State  of  Illinois  and  make  it  a 
slave  State.  This  was  one  of  the  most  momentous  contests 
in  the  history  of  the  State.  The  election  to  decide  the  ques- 
tion as  to  whether  or  not  a  convention  should  be  held  for 
the  purpose  of  amending  the  Constitution  in  order  to  legalize 
slavery  in  Illinois  was  held  August  6,  1824.  The  vote  was 
against  the  holding  of  the  convention,  and  to  Governor  Coles 
is  due  in  a  large  measure  the  success  of  the  Anti-Slavery  party, 
and  the  credit  for  keeping  Illinois  a  free  State.  During  the 
term  of  office  of  Governor  Coles  a  State  House  was  built  at 
Vandalia,  the  new  Capital.  Governor  Coles  wrote  a  history 
of  the  Ordinance  of  1  787,  which  was  published  during  his 
term  of  office. 

In  1833  he  removed  to  Philadelphia.  On  November  28, 
1833,  he  married  Miss  Sally  Logan  Roberts  of  Philadelphia. 
He  died  in  that  city  July  7,  1  868. 

A  life  of  Governor  Coles  by  Hon.  E.  B.  Washburne  pre- 
pared for  the  Chicago  Historical  Society,  was  published  in 
1  882.  It  is  a  history  of  the  life  of  Governor  Coles  and  of  the 
important  political  controversy  of  the  period.  The  Illinois 
State  Historical  Society  expects  to  reprint  this  book  during  the 
Centennial  year. 


/V,  o 

£> £^~ttSlG^c>h 

"^ 


NINIAN  EDWARDS,   1826-1830. 

William  Kinney,  Lieutenant  Governor. 

Ninian  Edwards,  Territorial  Governor,  1809-1818,  was 
born  in  Montgomery  County,  Maryland,  March  17,  1  775.  He 
was  educated  by  private  tutors  and  at  Dickinson  College  at 
Carlysle,  Pennsylvania.  He  was  sent  by  his  father  in  1  794  to 
purchase  and  improve  lands  in  the  new  state  of  Kentucky. 

In  the  years  1  796-98,  he  represented  Nelson  County  in 
the  Kentucky  legislature;  licensed  to  practice  law  in  1  798;  in 
1802,  appointed  Major  in  the  Kentucky  Militia;  1803,  Circuit 
Court  Judge.  In  1  804  he  was  elected  Judge  of  the  Court  of 
Appeals.  In  1  808  elected  Chief  Justice  of  Kentucky.  It  was 
while  serving  in  the  last  named  office  that  he  was  appointed 
by  President  Madison,  Governor  of  the  New  Territory  of  Illi- 
nois, April  24,  1809,  and  held  the  office  until  the  admission  of 
the  State  in  1818. 

When  the  first  General  Assembly  of  the  State  of  Illinois 
convened  at  Kaskaskia,  Governor  Edwards  was  elected  to  the 
United  States  Senate  for  the  short  term  of  two  years.  Two 
years  later  he  was  elected  for  the  full  term  of  six  years.  He 
resigned  his  seat  in  the  United  States  Senate  in  1  824,  to  accept 
an  appointment  by  President  Monroe  as  United  States  Minister 
to  Mexico.  In  1826  he  was  elected  Governor  of  the  State  of 
Illinois.  His  method  of  campaigning  differed  from  that  of  the 
usual  pioneer  candidate.  He  traveled  over  the  State  attended 
by  his  colored  servant,  and  the  people  whom  it  was  supposed 
would  be  driven  away  by  his  aristocratic  appearance  were 
really  attracted  to  him  and  deemed  it  an  honor  to  support 
"such  an  elegant  gentleman." 

Edwards  County,  and  Edwardsville,  the  county  seat  of 
Madison  County,  were  named  in  his  honor. 

Governor  Edwards  died  of  cholera,  at  Belleville,  July 
20,  1833. 

Governor  Edwards  was  married  in  1803,  in  Kentucky,  to 
Miss  Elvira  Lane. 

An  interesting  account  of  the  Life  and  Times  of  Ninian 
Edwards,  by  his  son,  Ninian  Wirt  Edwards  was  published  m 
Springfield  in  1870.  The  Edwards  Papers,  by  his  son  Ninian 
Wirt  Edwards,  edited  by  E.  B.  Washburne,  were  published  as 
the  Chicago  Historical  Society's  Collections,  Vol.  Ill,  in  1884. 


XT^^t^u- 


JOHN  REYNOLDS,   1830-1834. 

Zadoc  Casey,  Lieutenant  Governor. 
William  L.   D.   Ewing,   Lieutenant  Governor. 

John  Reynolds  was  born  in  Montgomery  County,  Penn- 
sylvania, February  26,  1  788.  His  parents  removed  to  Ten- 
nessee near  the  present  city  of  Knoxville,  and  from  there  to 
Illinois  in  1 800.  The  boy  John,  lived  with  his  parents  in 
Southern  Illinois,  until  1  809,  and  then  for  two  years  attended 
college  near  Knoxville,  Tennessee.  During  the  War  of  1812 
he  was  a  member  of  a  company  of  Rangers  that  took  part  in 
campaigns  against  the  Indians.  This  service  gave  him  the 
nick-name  of  "The  Old  Ranger." 

In  1  8  1  4  he  opened  a  law  office  at  Cahokia.  On  August 
22,  1815,  John  Reynolds  was  appointed  Judge  Advocate  of 
the  Second  Regiment.  He  was  Justice  of  the  Supreme  Court 
of  Illinois,  October  8,  1818,  to  January  19,  1825,  serving  as 
Chief  Justice  of  the  Supreme  Court  from  1822  to  1825.  He 
represented  St.  Clair  County  in  the  Fifth,  and  Sixth  General 
Assemblies  1  826  to  1  830.  He  was  Governor  of  Illinois  Decem- 
ber 6,  1830  to  November  17,  1834.  Member  of  Congress, 
1834-1837;  also  served  in  Congress  1839-43.  He  was  again 
elected  a  Representative  from  St.  Clair  County  in  the  General 
Assembly,  serving  from  1  846  to  1  848,  served  again  as  Repre- 
sentative from  1852  to  '54,  and  was  Speaker  of  the  House  of 
Representatives.  He  married  in  1817,  Mrs.  Catherine  Du- 
buque  Manegle,  a  daughter  of  Julian  Dubuque.  His  second 
marriage  occurred  in  May,  1836  to  Miss  Sarah  Wilson  at 
Georgetown,  D.  C. 

Governor  Reynolds  died  at  Belleville,  Illinois,  May  8, 
1865.  Among  the  writings  of  Reynolds  may  be  mentioned 
Pioneer  History  of  Illinois,  1852,  Adventures  of  John  Kelly, 
1853,  Sketches  published  1854.  He  published  The  Eagle,  a 
weekly  Democratic  paper  at  Belleville  in  1854.  "My  Own 
Times,"  1856.  The  School  Advocate,  1856.  Friendship's 
Offering,  1858-9.  "The  Star  of  Egypt,"  a  weekly  newspaper, 
1859.  The  "Balm  of  Gilead,"  1860. 


WILLIAM  L.  D.  EWING,   1834. 

William  Lee  Davidson  Ewing,  (1834,  15  days),  was 
born  in  Paris,  Kentucky,  August  31,  1795.  Came  to  Illinois 
about  the  time  it  became  a  State.  He  was  United  States 
Receiver  of  Public  Money  at  Vandalia  in  1823.  Was  a  gen- 
eral of  Militia  in  the  Black  Hawk  War.  He  was  a  member  of 
the  General  Assembly  and  Speaker  of  the  House  during  the 
term  of  the  Seventh  General  Assembly,  December  6,  1830,  to 
December  3,  1832.  William  L.  D.  Ewing  has  the  distinction 
of  holding  the  office  of  Governor  of  Illinois  for  a  shorter  time 
than  any  other  Governor  of  the  State.  Mr.  Ewing  was  a 
member  of  the  Illinois  State  Senate  in  1833  and  1834.  Lieu- 
tenant Governor  Zadoc  Casey  resigned  in  1833  to  take  a  seat 
in  Congress,  and  Mr.  Ewing  was  elected  President  of  the  Sen- 
ate. When  Governor  Reynolds  resigned  on  November  1  7, 
1834,  by  virtue  of  the  office  which  he  then  held,  Mr.  Ewing 
became  the  Governor  of  the  State  and  held  the  office  until  the 
inauguration  of  Governor  Duncan  on  December  3,  1834.  He 
was  elected  United  States  Senator  on  December  29,  1835,  to 
fill  the  vacancy  caused  by  the  death  of  Elias  Kent  Kane.  Fail- 
ing of  re-election  to  the  Senatorship  in  1837,  he  was  returned 
to  the  Illinois  House  of  Representatives  from  his  own  district 
in  1838,  as  he  was  again  in  1840,  at  each  session  being  chosen 
Speaker  over  Abraham  Lincoln,  who  was  the  Whig  candidate. 
Dropping  out  of  the  Legislature  at  the  close  of  his  term,  we  find 
him  at  the  beginning  of  the  next  session  (December,  1842)  in 
his  old  place  as  Clerk  of  the  House  of  Representatives  but, 
before  the  close  of  the  session,  March,  1843,  he  was  appointed 
Auditor  of  Public  Accounts  as  successor  to  James  Shields,  who 
had  resigned.  While  serving  as  Auditor,  Mr.  Ewing  died  at 
Springfield,  March  25,  1846. 

Mr.  Ewing  was  married  at  Vandalia,  Illinois,  May  3,  1827, 
to  Miss  Caroline  L.  Berry,  daughter  of  Elijah  C.  Berry,  who 
settled  in  Vandalia  in  1819. 


JOSEPH  DUNCAN,   1834-1838. 

Alexander  M.   Jenkins,   Lieutenant  Governor. 

Joseph  Duncan,  Governor  of  Illinois,  1834-1838,  was 
born  at  Paris,  Kentucky,  February  22,  1  794.  Emigrated  to 
Illinois  in  1818,  having  previously  served  with  distinction  in 
the  War  of  1812,  and  been  presented  with  a  sword  by  vote  of 
Congress,  for  gallant  conduct  in  the  defense  of  Fort  Stephen- 
son.  He  was  commissioned  Major-General  of  Illinois  Militia 
in  1823,  and  elected  State  Senator  from  Jackson  County  in 
1824.  He  served  in  the  lower  House  of  Congress  from  1827 
to  1834,  when  he  resigned  his  seat,  and  was  elected  Governor 
of  Illinois  the  same  year.  He  was  much  interested  in  the 
cause  of  education  and  was  the  author  of  the  first  free  school 
law  of  Illinois,  adopted  in  1825.  He  was  the  Whig  candidate 
for  Governor  in  1842,  when  he  met  his  first  political  defeat. 

The  removal  of  the  State  Capital  to  Springfield  occurred 
during  his  administration  and  much  of  the  legislation  for  the 
famous  internal  improvement  scheme  was  passed  during  his 
term  as  Governor. 

Governor  Duncan  was  married  in  Washington,  D.  C.,  on 
May  1  3,  1828,  to  Miss  Elizabeth  Caldwell  Smith  of  New  York 
City,  whose  acquaintance  he  made  when  both  were  guests  at  a 
dinner  given  to  a  few  friends  by  President  John  Quincy  Adams. 
He  died  in  Jacksonville,  Illinois,  January  15,  1844. 

A  life  of  Governor  Duncan  by  his  daughter,  Mrs.  Julia 
Duncan  Kirby  was  published  in  1888  as  No.  29  of  the  Fergus 
Historical  Series. 


THOMAS  CARLIN,  1838-1842. 

Stillson  H.  Anderson,   Lieutenant  Governor. 

Thomas  Carlin  was  born  in  Fayette  County,  Kentucky, 
July  18,  1  789.  In  1  793  he  moved  with  his  parents  to  Shelby 
County,  Kentucky.  In  1803  the  family  emigrated  to  St. 
Louis  County,  Missouri,  where  the  father  died,  leaving  a  widow 
and  seven  children.  Thomas  being  the  oldest,  his  educational 
advantages  were  meagre,  but  he  was  a  student  and  by  earnest 
effort  acquired  a  fair  education.  In  1812,  he  removed  to  Illi- 
nois; June  3,  1812,  he  enlisted  in  the  United  States  Army  as  a 
private;  in  the  campaign  to  Lake  Peoria  under  Governor 
Edwards.  In  1813,  he  served  under  General  Howard  in  the 
district  between  the  Illinois  and  Mississippi  Rivers.  In  1  8  1  8  he 
removed  to  Green  County.  Carrollton,  the  county  seat,  was 
laid  out  on  his  land.  Carlinville,  the  county  seat  of  Macoupin 
County  was  named  in  his  honor.  From  1824-1832  he  was 
a  State  Senator.  In  1832  he  was  a  Captain  of  Spies  during 
the  Black  Hawk  War;  1834-38  was  Register  of  land  office  at 
Quincy.  He  was  elected  Governor  of  Illinois  in  1838  and 
served  in  that  high  office  from  December  7,  1838  to  Decem- 
ber 8,  1842.  From  1849-51  he  was  a  Representative  from 
Greene  County  in  the  General  Assembly  of  the  State.  The 
Supreme  Court  of  the  State  was  reorganized  during  his  admin- 
istration. Thomas  Carlin  was  married  at  Edwardsville  Junc- 
tion in  1814  to  Miss  Rebecca  Huitt.  He  died  at  Carrollton, 
Illinois,  February  14,  1852.  The  State  of  Illinois  has  erected 
a  monument  to  his  memory  at  Carrollton. 


THOMAS  FORD,   1842-1846. 

John  Moore,  Lieutenant  Governor. 

Thomas  Ford  was  born  at  Uniontown,  Pennsylvania,  De- 
cember 5,  1  800.  He  accompanied  his  mother  (then  a  widow) 
to  Missouri  in  1  804.  The  family  soon  after  located  in  Monroe 
County,  Illinois.  Largely  through  the  efforts  and  aid  of  his 
half-brother,  George  Forquer,  he  was  enabled  to  attend  Tran- 
sylvania University,  at  Lexington,  Kentucky,  and  he  also  ob- 
tained a  professional  education.  He  studied  law  in  the  office 
of  Daniel  P.  Cook,  and  became  a  successful  lawyer.  Early  in 
life  he  entered  the  field  of  politics.  He  served  as  a  Judge  of 
the  Circuit  Court  for  the  Northern  part  of  the  State  from  1835 
to  1837,  and  was  again  commissioned  a  Circuit  Judge  for  the 
Galena  Circuit  in  1839;  in  1841  was  elevated  to  the  bench  of 
the  State  Supreme  Court,  but  resigned  the  following  year  to 
accept  the  nomination  for  Governor.  It  was  during  his  admin- 
istration, that  the  Mormon  agitation  in  Illinois  occurred,  and 
also  the  beginning  of  the  Mexican  War.  Governor  Ford  was 
the  author  of  a  valuable  history  of  Illinois,  1818-1847,  pub- 
lished in  1854,  after  his  death. 

Ford  County,  established  February  1  7,  1859,  was  named 
in  his  honor. 

Governor  Ford  was  married  at  Edwardsville,  Illinois,  June 
12,  1828,  to  Miss  Frances  Hambaugh.  His  death  occurred 
at  Peoria,  Illinois,  November  3,  1850. 

The  State  of  Illinois  has  erected  a  monument  to  his  mem- 
ory in  Springdale  Cemetery,  Peoria,  Illinois. 


AUGUSTUS  C.  FRENCH,   1846-1853. 

Joseph  B.  Wells,  Lieutenant  Governor. 
William  McMurtry,  Lieutenant  Governor. 

Augustus  C.  French  was  born  at  Hill,  Merrimack  County, 
N.  R,  August  2,  1808.  He  attended  Dartmouth  College  for 
a  time  but  did  not  graduate.  In  1831  he  was  admitted  to  the 
bar.  He  emigrated  to  Albion,  Illinois,  and  in  1832  he  re- 
moved to  Paris,  Illinois,  where  he  built  up  a  good  law  practice. 
He  was  a  Representative  in  the  General  Assembly  of  the  State, 
1  836-40.  In  1  832  he  was  appointed  receiver  of  public  money 
at  Palestine.  In  1 844  he  was  presidential  elector  on  the 
Democratic  ticket.  In  1 846  he  was  elected  Governor  of 
Illinois  and  served  from  December  9,  1846,  to  January  10, 
1853.  He  was  appointed  bank  commissioner  by  Governor 
Matteson  in  1  858.  He  was  a  candidate  for  the  office  of  Super- 
intendent of  Public  Instruction,  but  was  defeated.  He  became 
professor  of  law  in  McKendree  College,  Lebanon,  and  was 
a  member  of  the  Constitutional  Convention  of  1  862.  Gover- 
nor French  was  re-elected  under  the  Constitution  of  1  848,  and 
was  the  first  Governor  of  Illinois  to  be  re-elected. 

Governor  French  married  Miss  Lucy  M.  Southworth  about 
1842. 

The  Mexican  War  had  begun  in  the  administration  of 
Governor  Ford,  but  French  was  Governor  during  most  of  the 
period  of  the  War.  During  the  administration  of  Governor 
French  the  new  Constitution  was  framed  which  was  ratified 
by  the  people  in  1  848. 

Governor  French  died  at  Lebanon,  Illinois,  September  4, 
1864. 


JOEL  ALDRICH  MATTESON,   1853-1857. 

Gustavus  Koerner,  Lieutenant  Governor. 

Joel  Aldrich  Matteson  was  born  at  Watertown,  N.  Y., 
August  8,  1  808.  In  early  life  he  was  employed  in  a  store  in 
Prescott,  Ontario,  and  later  taught  school  and  engaged  in  busi- 
ness in  Brownsville,  N.  Y.  In  1831  he  went  South  and  began 
work  as  foreman  on  the  first  railroad  in  South  Carolina.  In 
1834  he  removed  to  Illinois  where  he  became  a  contractor  on 
the  Illinois  and  Michigan  Canal.  He  engaged  in  manufactur- 
ing at  Joliet.  From  1  842-53  he  was  a  State  Senator.  In  1  855 
he  was  defeated  by  Lyman  Trumbull  for  the  United  States 
Senatorship.  He  traveled  extensively  in  Europe  after  retiring 
from  office.  He  resided  in  later  life  in  Chicago,  and  he  was 
lessee  and  president  of  the  Chicago  &  Alton  Railroad. 

The  Bloomington  Convention  of  1856,  Kansas-Nebraska 
agitation,  and  the  reduction  of  the  State  debt,  were  some  of 
the  important  events  which  occurred  during  his  administration. 

Governor  Matteson  was  married  at  Watertown,  N.  Y., 
October  7,  1832,  to  Miss  Mary  Fish.  His  death  occurred  in 
Chicago,  January  31,  1873. 


WILLIAM  H.  BISSELL,   1857-1860. 

John  Wood,  Lieutenant  Governor. 

William  H.  Bissell  the  first  Republican  Governor  of  the 
State  of  Illinois,  was  born  near  Painted  Post,  Steuben  County, 
N.  Y.,  April  25,  1811.  He  received  a  fair  education,  grad- 
uated at  Jefferson  Medical  College,  Philadelphia  in  1835.  He 
then  removed  to  Monroe  County,  Illinois,  where  he  practiced 
his  profession  as  a  physician.  In  1  840-42  he  was  a  represen- 
tative in  the  General  Assembly.  He  studied  law  and  was 
admitted  to  the  bar,  and  practiced  at  Belleville.  In  1  844  was 
elected  prosecuting  attorney  of  St.  Clair  County.  From  June 
20,  1  846  to  June  1  8,  1  847,  he  served  as  Colonel  of  the  Second 
Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry  in  the  War  with  Mexico  and  served 
with  distinction,  especially  at  Buena  Vista.  From  1848-53  he 
represented  the  First  Illinois  District  in  Congress  and  was  a 
conspicuous  and  valuable  member.  He  was  challenged  by 
Jefferson  Davis  to  fight  a  duel  on  account  of  the  fact  that  Mr. 
Bissell  in  a  speech  in  Congress  resented  the  attitude  of  South- 
ern members  who  claimed  for  Southern  troops  the  entire  credit 
for  the  successes  of  the  Mexican  war.  The  duel  was  prevented 
by  the  intervention  of  President  Taylor  the  father-in-law  of 
Jefferson  Davis.  On  May  29,  1856,  Mr.  Bissell  was  nom- 
inated for  Governor  of  Illinois  by  the  coalition  of  the  Whig 
party  with  the  Anti-Nebraska  Democrats.  This  was  the  first 
Republican  State  Convention  in  Illinois.  He  was  elected  and 
was  inaugurated  January  12,  1857,  and  continued  in  office 
until  his  death,  March  18,  1860.  Governor  Bissell  is  the 
only  governor  who  died  in  office.  He  is  buried  in  Oak  Ridge 
Cemetery,  Springfield,  where  the  State  has  erected  a  monument 
to  his  memory. 

Governor  Bissell  was  married  in  1839  to  Miss  Emily 
James.  His  second  wife  was  Elizabeth  Kane,  the  daughter  of 
Elias  Kent  Kane. 


JOHN  WOOD,   1860-1861. 

Thomas  A.  Marshall,  Lieutenant  Governor. 

John  Wood,  Lieutenant  Governor  and  Governor,  was 
born  at  Moravia,  N.  Y.,  December  20,  1  798,  his  father  being  a 
Revolutionary  soldier  who  had  served  as  Surgeon  and  Captain 
in  the  Army.  At  the  age  of  2  1  years  young  Wood  removed 
to  Illinois  settling  in  what  is  now  Adams  County  and  building 
the  first  log  cabin  on  the  present  site  of  Quincy.  He  was  a 
member  of  the  upper  house  of  the  Seventeenth  and  Eighteenth 
General  Assemblies  of  Illinois,  and  was  elected  Lieutenant 
Governor  in  1856  on  the  ticket  with  Governor  Bissell  and 
served  out  the  unexpired  term  of  the  latter,  who  died  in  office. 
In  February,  1861,  he  was  appointed  one  of  the  five  commis- 
sioners from  Illinois  to  the  "Peace  Conference"  at  Washington, 
to  consider  methods  for  averting  Civil  War. 

The  following  May  he  was  appointed  Quartermaster- 
General  for  the  State  by  Governor  Yates  and  assisted  most 
efficiently  in  fitting  out  the  troops  for  the  field.  In  June,  1  864, 
he  was  commissioned  Colonel  of  the  One  Hundred  and  Thirty- 
seventh  Illinois  Volunteers  and  was  mustered  out  of  service  the 
following  September. 

Governor  Wood  was  married  at  Quincy,  Illinois,  January 
25,  1826,  to  Miss  Ann  M.  Streeter.  His  second  marriage  to 
Mrs.  Mary  A.  Holmes  occurred  June  6,  1865. 

He  died  at  Quincy,  Illinois,  June   1  1,    1880. 

The  citizens  of  Quincy  erected  a  monument  to  his  memory 
which  was  dedicated  July  4,  1883. 

An  excellent  account  of  the  military  services  of  Governor 
Wood  by  Miss  Cora  F.  Benneson  was  presented  at  the  annual 
meeting  of  the  Illinois  State  Historical  Society,  1909,  and  is 
published  in  the:  Transactions  of  the  Society  for  that  year. 


RICHARD  YATES,   1861-1865. 

Francis  A.  Hoffman,  Lieutenant  Governor. 

Richard  Yates,  Civil  War  Governor  of  Illinois,  was  born 
in  Warsaw,  Kentucky,  January  18,  1815.  In  1831  he  accom- 
panied his  father  to  Illinois,  the  family  settling  first  at  Spring- 
field and  later  at  Berlin,  Sangamon  County.  He  soon  after 
entered  Illinois  College  from  which  he  graduated  in  1835,  and 
subsequently  read  law  with  Col.  John  J.  Hardin  at  Jackson- 
ville, which  thereafter  was  his  home.  On  July  1  1,  1839,  he 
was  married  to  Miss  Catherine  Geers  of  Jacksonville. 

In  1  842  he  was  elected  Representative  in  the  Illinois  Gen- 
eral Assembly  from  Morgan  County,  and  was  re-elected  in 
1  844,  and  again  in  1  848.  In  1850  he  was  candidate  for  Con- 
gress from  the  Seventh  Illinois  District  and  elected  over  Major 
Thomas  L.  Harris,  the  previous  incumbent,  being  the  only 
Whig  Representative  in  the  Thirty-second  Congress  from  Illi- 
nois. Two  years  later  he  was  re-elected  over  John  Calhoun, 
but  was  defeated  in  1854,  by  his  old  opponent,  Harris.  He 
was  one  of  the  most  vigorous  opponents  of  the  Kansas- 
Nebraska  Bill  in  the  Thirty-third  Congress,  and  an  early  and 
earnest  supporter  of  the  movement  for  the  organization  of  a 
new  political  party  to  resist  the  further  extension  of  slavery. 
He  was  a  member  of  the  Bloomington  Convention  of  1856 
and  was  one  of  the  vice-presidents  of  that  body. 

In  1  860  he  was  elected  Governor  of  Illinois  on  the  ticket 
headed  by  Abraham  Lincoln  for  the  presidency,  and,  by 
his  energetic  support  of  the  National  Administration  in  the 
measures  for  the  suppression  of  the  Rebellion,  won  the  sobri- 
quet of  "the  Illinois  War  Governor."  In  1  865  he  was  elected 
United  States  Senator,  serving  until  1871.  He  died  suddenly 
in  St.  Louis,  November  27,  1873. 

He  is  buried  in  Diamond  Grove  Cemetery,  Jacksonville, 
Ills.  A  sketch  of  the  life  and  services  of  Governor  Yates  by 
his  lifelong  friend  Dr.  William  Jayne  is  published  in  the  Trans- 
actions of  the  Illinois  State  Historical  Society  for  1902. 


RICHARD   J.    OGLESBY,    1865-1869;   January   13,    1873- 
January  23,  1873;  1885-1889. 

William  Bross,  Lieutenant  Governor,  1865-1869. 

John  L.  Beveridge,  Lieutenant  Governor,  January,   1873. 

John  C.  Smith,  Lieutenant  Governor,  1885-1889. 

Richard  J.  Oglesby  was  born  in  Oldham  County,  Ken- 
tucky, July  25,  1824.  He  was  left  an  orphan  at  the  age  of 
eight  years;  in  1836  he  accompanied  his  uncle  to  Decatur, 
Illinois,  where  until  1  844,  he  worked  at  farming,  carpentering 
and  rope  making.  In  1  845  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar  and 
began  practice  at  Sullivan,  Moultrie  County.  In  1846  he  was 
commissioned  a  lieutenant  in  the  Fourth  Regiment  Illinois  Vol- 
unteers (Col.  E.  D.  Baker's  Regiment)  and  served  through  the 
Mexican  war,  taking  part  in  the  siege  of  Vera  Cruz  and  the 
battle  of  Cerro  Gordo.  In  1 849  he  graduated  from  the 
Louisville  Law  School.  In  1859,  Richard  J.  Oglesby  married 
Miss  Anna  E.  White  of  Decatur.  In  1  860  he  was  elected  to 
the  State  Senate,  but  early  in  1861  he  resigned  his  seat  to 
become  the  colonel  of  the  Eighth  Illinois  Volunteers.  Through 
gallantry,  notably  at  Forts  Henry  and  Donelson  and  at 
Corinth,  he  rose  to  the  rank  of  Major-General.  He  was 
severely  wounded  in  the  battle  of  Corinth.  He  resigned  his 
commission  in  the  Army  on  account  of  disability  in  May,  1  864, 
and  the  following  November  was  elected  Governor  of  the 
State.  In  1  872,  he  was  again  elected  Governor,  but,  two  weeks 
after  his  inauguration,  in  January,  1873,  resigned  to  accept 
a  seat  in  the  United  States  Senate,  to  which  he  was  elected 
by  the  Legislature  of  1  873.  In  1  884  he  was  elected  Governor 
for  the  third  time  being  the  only  man  in  the  history  of  the 
State  who  so  far  has  thus  been  honored. 

After  the  expiration  of  his  last  term  as  Governor  he  re- 
tired to  his  home  at  Elkhart,  Logan  County,  where  he  devoted 
his  attention  to  his  private  affairs  and  in  the  enjoyment  of  his 
family  and  friends. 

Governor  Oglesby  was  married  to  Mrs.  Emma  Gillette 
Keays,  at  Elkhart,  Illinois,  November  18,  1873. 

He  died  at  his  home  in  Elkhart,  April  24,  1899,  and  is 
buried  in  the  cemetery  at  that  place. 

Important  events  which  occurred  during  the  first  adminis- 
tration of  Governor  Oglesby  were  the  close  of  the  Civil  War 
and  the  assassination  of  Abraham  Lincoln. 


JOHN  M.  PALMER,   1869-1873. 

John  Dougherty,  Lieutenant  Governor. 

John  McAuley  Palmer  was  born  at  Eagle  Creek,  Scott 
County,  Kentucky,  September  13,  1817.  He  came  with  his 
parents  to  Madison  County,  Illinois,  in  1831.  He  entered 
Shurtleff  College  in  1835.  He  was  admitted  to  the  Bar  in 
1839.  In  1843  he  was  elected  Probate  Judge  of  Macoupin 
County.  Mr.  Palmer  was  married  December  20,  1842,  to 
Miss  Malinda  A.  Neely,  at  Carlinville,  Illinois.  Mr.  Palmer 
was  a  member  of  the  State  Constitutional  Convention  of  1  847. 
He  was  elected  to  the  State  Senate  in  1852  to  fill  a  vacancy 
and  was  re-elected  in  1  854.  He  was  Chairman  of  the  Conven- 
tion held  in  Bloomington,  May  29,  1856,  the  first  Republican 
State  Convention  in  Illinois.  Mr.  Palmer  was  a  delegate  from 
Illinois  to  the  Peace  Convention  which  met  in  Baltimore,  Feb- 
ruary 4,  1861.  On  the  15th  of  May,  1861,  Mr.  Palmer  took 
command  as  Colonel  of  the  1  4th  Illinois  Volunteer  Regiment. 
He  was  promoted  to  Brigadier  General,  December  21,  1861. 
He  was  appointed  Major  General  November  29,  1  863.  Placed 
in  command  of  the  1 4th  Army  Corps,  succeeding  General 
George  H.  Thomas.  General  Palmer  was  appointed  by  Mr. 
Lincoln,  Commander  of  the  Military  Department  of  Kentucky, 
February  18,  1865,  and  served  until  April  1,  1866,  but  re- 
mained in  the  service  of  the  United  States  until  September  1, 
1866. 

In  1868,  General  Palmer  was  elected  Governor  of  Illinois. 
During  his  administration  the  present  Constitution  of  the  State 
was  framed. 

In  1  888,  Governor  Palmer  was  nominated  for  Governor 
by  the  Democratic  party.  In  1 89 1  he  was  elected  to  the 
United  States  Senate.  In  1896  he  was  nominated  by  the 
National  Democratic  or  Sound  Money  Democratic  party  for 
President  of  the  United  States. 

On  April  4,  1  888,  General  Palmer  married  Mrs.  Hannah 
Lamb  Kimball  of  Springfield. 

General  Palmer  edited  a  history  of  the  Bench  and  Bar  of 
Illinois,  and  late  in  his  life  he  wrote  his  personal  reminiscences 
which  were  published  under  the  title  of  Personal  Recollections 
of  John  M.  Palmer,  The  Story  of  an  Earnest  Life. 

General  Palmer  died  at  his  home  in  Springfield,  Septem- 
ber 25,  1900.  He  is  buried  at  Carlinville. 


JOHN  LOWRIE  BEVERIDGE,   1873-1877. 

John  Early,  President  of  the  Senate  and  Acting  Lieutenant 

Governor. 

Archibald  A.   Glenn,  President  of  the  Senate  and  Acting 
Lieutenant  Governor. 

John  Lowrie  Beveridge  succeeded  to  the  office  of  Gover- 
nor  by  the  resignation  of  Richard  J.  Oglesby,  January,  1873. 

John  L.  Beveridge  was  born  in  Greenwich,  Washington 
County,  New  York,  July  6,  1  824.  He  came  to  Illinois  in  1  842, 
and,  after  spending  some  two  years  in  Granville  Academy  and 
Rock  River  Seminary,  went  to  Tennessee,  where  he  engaged 
in  teaching,  meanwhile  studying  law.  Having  been  admitted 
to  the  bar  in  Tennessee  he  returned  to  Illinois  in  1851,  first 
locating  at  Sycamore,  but  three  years  later  established  himself 
in  Chicago.  During  the  first  year  of  the  war  he  assisted  in 
raising  the  Eighth  Regiment  Illinois  Cavalry,  and  was  commis- 
sioned first  as  Captain  and  later,  Major.  Two  years  later  be- 
came Colonel  of  the  Seventeenth  Cavalry,  which  he  com- 
manded to  the  close  of  the  war,  being  mustered  out  with  the 
rank  of  brevet  Brigadier  General.  After  the  war  he  held  the 
office  of  sheriff  of  Cook  County  four  years;  in  1870  was 
elected  to  the  State  Senate,  and,  in  the  following  year,  Con- 
gressman-at-Large  to  succeed  General  John  A.  Logan,  who  had 
been  elected  to  the  United  States  Senate.  Colonel  Beveridge 
resigned  this  office  in  January,  1  873,  having  been  elected  Lieu- 
tenant Governor  and  a  few  weeks  later  succeeded  to  the  Gover- 
norship by  the  election  of  Governor  Oglesby  to  the  United 
States  Senate.  In  1  88  1  he  was  appointed  by  President  Arthur, 
Assistant  United  States  Treasurer  at  Chicago,  serving  until 
after  the  first  election  of  Grover  Cleveland. 

John  Lowrie  Beveridge  was  married  in  1848  to  Miss 
Helen  Judson.  His  death  occurred  in  Hollywood,  now  a  part 
of  Los  Angeles,  California,  May  3,  1910. 

He  is  buried  in  Rosehill  Cemetery,  Chicago. 


SHELBY  MOORE  CULLOM,   1877-1883. 

Andrew  Shuman,  Lieutenant  Governor. 
John  M.  Hamilton,  Lieutenant  Governor. 

Shelby  Moore  Cullom  was  born  in  Wayne  County,  Ken- 
tucky, November  22,  1829.  His  parents  removed  to  Taze- 
well  County,  Illinois  in  1830,  where  his  father  became  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Legislature,  and  attained  prominence. 

He  attended  Rock  River  Seminary  at  Mount  Morris, 
teaching  school  a  part  of  the  time  to  earn  the  money  to  con- 
tinue his  studies.  He  went  to  Springfield  in  1853  to  enter 
upon  the  study  of  law  in  the  office  of  Stuart  &  Edwards,  being 
admitted  to  the  bar  two  years  afterwards.  He  was  almost 
immediately  elected  City  Attorney  of  Springfield  and  in  1856 
was  elected  to  the  Twentieth  General  Assembly  from  Sanga- 
mon  County.  He  was  again  elected  in  1  860.  In  1  861  he  was 
chosen  Speaker  of  the  House.  In  1  862  he  was  appointed  by 
President  Lincoln  a  member  of  the  War  Claims  Commission  at 
Cairo.  Two  years  later  (1864)  he  was  a  candidate  for  Con- 
gress, defeating  his  former  preceptor,  Hon.  John  T.  Stuart. 
He  was  re-elected  in  1866,  and  again  in  1868,  the  latter  year 
over  Benjamin  S.  Edwards.  He  was  elected  to  the  Illinois 
House  of  Representatives  in  1872,  and  in  1874.  He  was 
elected  Speaker  in  1873,  and  1875.  In  1876  was  elected 
Governor,  was  re-elected  in  1880,  and  in  1883  he  was  elected 
to  the  United  States  Senate  and  served  as  Senator  continuously 
until  1913. 

After  his  term  in  the  Senate  expired  he  was  appointed 
Chairman  of  the  Lincoln  Memorial  Building  Commission. 
Senator  Cullom  was  married  in  December,  1855,  to  Miss  Han- 
nah Fisher;  his  second  marriage  to  Miss  Julia  Fisher  occurred 
May  5,  1863.  Governor  Cullom  wrote  his  personal  recollec- 
tions which  were  published  in  book  form  in  1911,  under  the 
title  of  "Fifty  Years  of  Public  Service." 

Governor  Cullom  died  in  Washington,  January  28,   1914. 

He  is  buried  in  Oak  Ridge  Cemetery,  Springfield,  Ills. 

A  fine  account  of  the  life  and  services  of  Shelby  M.  Cul- 
lom by  Mr.  Henry  A.  Converse,  of  Springfield  is  published  in 
the  Transactions  of  the  Historical  Society  for  1914. 


JOHN  MARSHALL  HAMILTON,   1883-1885. 

William  J.  Campbell,  President  of  the  Senate  and  Acting 
Lieutenant  Governor. 

John  Marshall  Hamilton  was  born  in  Union  County,  Ohio, 
May  28,  1847.  When  seven  years  of  age,  was  brought  to 
Illinois  by  his  father,  who  settled  on  a  farm  in  Marshall  County. 
In  1864  (at  the  age  of  17)  he  enlisted  in  the  One  Hundred 
and  Forty-first  Illinois  Volunteers — a  1  00-day  regiment.  After 
being  mustered  out,  he  matriculated  at  the  Wesleyan  (Illinois) 
University  at  Bloomington.  He  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in 
1870,  and  was  a  successful  practitioner. 

In  1876  he  was  elected  State  Senator  from  McLean 
County,  and,  in  1880,  Lieutenant  Governor  on  the  ticket  with 
Governor  Shelby  M.  Cullom.  On  February  6,  1883,  he  was 
inaugurated  Governor  to  succeed  Governor  Cullom,  who  had 
been  chosen  United  States  Senator. 

In  1  884  he  was  a  candidate  for  the  gubernatorial  nomina- 
tion before  the  Republican  State  Convention  at  Peoria,  but 
that  body  selected  Ex-Governor  and  Senator,  Richard  J. 
Oglesby  to  head  the  State  ticket. 

Governor  Hamilton  married  in  1871,  Miss  Helen  Wil- 
liams. His  death  occurred  in  Chicago,  September  23,  1905. 
He  is  buried  in  Oakwoods  Cemetery,  Chicago. 


JOSEPH  W.  FIFER,   1889-1893. 
Lyman  B.  Ray,  Lieutenant  Governor. 

Joseph  W.  Fifer  was  born  at  Staunton,  Virginia,  October 
28,  1840;  in  1857  he  accompanied  his  father  to  McLean 
County,  Illinois,  and  worked  at  the  manufacture  and  laying  of 
brick.  At  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  War  he  enlisted  as  a 
private  in  the  Thirty-third  Illinois  Infantry,  and  was  danger- 
ously wounded  at  the  assault  on  Jackson,  Mississippi.  In 
1863,  on  the  healing  of  the  wound,  disregarding  the  advice  of 
family  and  friends,  he  rejoined  his  regiment.  At  the  close 
of  the  war,  when  about  25  years  of  age  he  entered  the  Wes- 
leyan  University  at  Bloomington,  where  by  dint  of  hard  work 
and  frugality,  while  supporting  himself  in  part  by  manual  labor, 
he  secured  his  diploma  in  1  868.  He  at  once  began  the  study 
of  law,  and,  soon  after  his  admission,  entered  upon  a  practice 
which  proved  both  successful  and  lucrative.  He  was  elected 
corporation  counsel  of  Bloomington  in  1871  and  State's  At- 
torney for  McLean  County  in  1872,  holding  the  latter  office, 
through  election  until  1  880,  when  he  was  chosen  State  Senator, 
serving  in  the  Thirty-second  and  Thirty-third  General  Assem- 
blies. In  1  888  he  was  nominated  and  elected  Governor  on 
the  Republican  ticket,  but,  in  1  892  was  defeated  for  re-election 
by  John  P.  Altgeld,  the  Democratic  nominee,  though  running 
in  advance  of  the  National  ticket  and  the  other  candidates  on 
the  State  ticket. 

Governor  Fifer  was  married  to  Miss  Gertrude  Lewis,  June 
15,  1870. 

He  resides  with  his  family  at  Bloomington. 


JOHN  PETER  ALTGELD,   1893-1897. 

Joseph  B.  Gill,  Lieutenant  Governor. 

John  Peter  Altgeld  was  born  in  Felters,  near  Cologne, 
Germany,  December  30,  1847,  and  in  boyhood  accompanied 
his  parents  to  America,  the  family  settling  in  Ohio.  At  the 
age  of  1 6  he  enlisted  in  the  One  Hundred  and  Sixty-fourth 
Ohio  Infantry,  serving  until  the  close  of  the  war.  His  legal 
education  was  acquired  at  St.  Louis  and  Savannah,  Missouri, 
and  from  1  874  to  '78  he  was  prosecuting  attorney  for  Andrew 
County  in  that  state. 

In  1878  he  removed  to  Chicago,  where  he  devoted  him- 
self to  professional  work.  In  1884  he  led  the  Democratic 
forlorn  hope  as  candidate  for  Congress  in  a  strong  Republican 
Congressional  district,  and  in  1  886  was  elected  to  the  bench 
of  the  Superior  Court  of  Cook  County,  but  resigned  in  August, 
1891.  The  Democratic  State  Convention  of  1892  nominated 
him  for  Governor  and  he  was  elected  the  following  November, 
being  the  first  foreign-born  citizen  to  hold  that  office  in  the 
history  of  the  State,  and  the  first  Democrat  elected  since  1852. 
In  1  896  he  was  a  prominent  factor  in  the  Democratic  National 
Convention  which  nominated  William  J.  Bryan  for  President, 
and  was  also  a  candidate  for  re-election  to  the  office  of  Gov- 
ernor, but  was  defeated  by  John  R.  Tanner,  the  Republican 
nominee. 

Governor  Altgeld  was  married  in  Chicago  in  1877  to 
Miss  Emma  Ford.  His  death  occurred  in  Joliet,  Illinois, 
March  12,  1902.  He  is  buried  in  Graceland  Cemetery,  Chi- 
cago. The  State  erected  a  monument  to  Governor  Altgeld 
in  Lincoln  Park,  Chicago,  1915. 

Governor  Altgeld  wrote  many  addresses  and  newspaper 
articles  on  social,  political  and  economic  questions.  He  also 
published  several  books  on  like  subjects,  among  them:  The 
Cost  of  Something  for  Nothing,  Live  Questions,  including  our 
Penal  Machinery  and  its  Victims. 


JOHN  R.  TANNER,   1897-1901. 

William  A.  Northcott,  Lieutenant  Governor. 

John  Riley  Tanner  was  born  in  Warrick  County,  Indiana, 
April  4,  1  844,  and  was  brought  to  Southern  Illinois  in  boyhood 
where  he  grew  up  on  a  farm  in  the  vicinity  of  Carbondale,  en- 
joying only  such  educational  advantages  as  were  afforded  by 
the  common  schools;  in  1863  at  the  age  of  19,  he  enlisted  in 
the  Ninety-eighth  Illinois  Volunteers,  serving  until  June,  1865, 
when  he  was  transferred  to  the  Sixty-first  and  finally  mustered 
out  in  September  following.  All  the  male  members  of  Gov- 
ernor Tanner's  family  were  soldiers  in  the  War  of  the  Rebel- 
lion, his  father  dying  in  prison  at  Columbus,  Mississippi,  one 
of  his  brothers  suffering  the  same  fate  from  wounds  at  Nash- 
ville, Tennessee,  and  another  brother  dying  in  hospital  at  Pine 
Bluff,  Arkansas.  On  December  25,  1866,  Mr.  Tanner  married 
Miss  Lauretta  Ingraham,  daughter  of  Barton  Ingraham,  of 
Clay  County,  Illinois. 

Returning  from  the  war  Mr.  Tanner  established  himself 
in  business  as  a  farmer  in  Clay  County,  later  engaging  success- 
fully in  the  milling  and  lumber  business  as  a  partner  of  his 
brother.  The  public  positions  held  by  him,  include  those  of 
Sheriff  of  Clay  County  (1870-72),  Clerk  of  the  Circuit  Court 
(1872-1876)  and  State  Senator  (1880-83).  During  the  lat- 
ter year  he  received  the  appointment  of  United  States  Marshal 
for  the  Southern  District  of  Illinois,  serving  until  after  the 
accession  of  President  Cleveland  in  1885.  In  1886  he  was 
elected  State  Treasurer;  in  1891  was  appointed  by  Governor 
Fifer,  a  member  of  the  Railroad  and  Warehouse  Commission, 
and  in  1 892  received  the  appointment  of  Assistant  United 
States  Treasurer  at  Chicago,  continuing  in  that  office  until  De- 
cember, 1893.  For  ten  years  (1874-1884)  he  was  a  member 
of  the  Republican  State  Central  Committee,  in  1  894,  he  was 
chosen  Chairman  of  the  Committee  and  conducted  the  cam- 
paign. In  1896  he  received  the  nomination  of  his  party  for 
Governor  and  was  elected  over  John  P.  Altgeld,  his  Democra- 
tic opponent. 

Governor  Tanner  was  married  December  30,  1 896,  to 
Miss  Cora  Edith  English.  He  died  May  23,  1901,  at  Spring- 
field, Illinois.  He  is  buried  in  Oak  Ridge  Cemetery. 


RICHARD  YATES,   1901-1905. 

William  A.   Northcott,   Lieutenant  Governor. 

Richard  Yates  was  born  in  Jacksonville,  Illinois,  Decem- 
ber 12,  1860,  the  son  of  Richard  and  Catherine  Geers  Yates. 
Richard  Yates,  the  elder,  was  elected  Governor  in  November, 
1860,  and  his  son  Richard  was  born  December  12,  between 
the  time  of  the  election  and  the  inauguration,  which  was  in 
January,  1861.  Richard  Yates,  Jr.,  after  receiving  his  ele- 
mentary education  in  the  public  schools  of  his  native  city  at 
thirteen  years  of  age,  entered  Whipple  Academy,  the  prepara- 
tory department  of  Illinois  College  and  three  years  later  (  1  876) 
was  admitted  to  the  College  proper,  from  which  he  graduated 
as  class  orator  in  1  880. 

He  then  took  a  course  in  the  law  department  of  Michigan 
University  at  Ann  Arbor,  Michigan,  graduated  therefrom  in 
1  884,  and  was  immediately  admitted  to  the  bar  in  both  Michi- 
gan and  Illinois  and  soon  thereafter  to  practice  in  the  Circuit 
and  Supreme  Courts  of  the  United  States.  For  four  years 
(  1  885-89)  he  served  as  City  Attorney  for  the  city  of  Jackson- 
ville; in  1892  was  the  nominee  on  the  Republican  ticket  for 
Congress  for  the  State-at-large,  but  was  defeated,  though  re- 
ceiving a  larger  vote  in  the  State  than  President  Harrison;  in 
1 894  was  elected  Judge  of  Morgan  County,  but  resigned  in 
1897  to  accept  the  position  of  Collector  of  Internal  Revenue 
for  the  Springfield  District,  continuing  in  this  position  until 
after  his  nomination  for  governor  on  the  Republican  ticket  at 
Peoria  on  May  9,  1  900,  just  forty  years  to  a  day  after  the  same 
honor  had  been  conferred  upon  his  father  at  Decatur  in  May, 
1860.  In  1904  he  was  a  candidate  for  re-nomination  before 
the  convention  which  met  at  Springfield  in  May  of  that  year. 
After  a  prolonged  contest  in  the  convention,  Governor  Yates 
withdrew  and  Charles  S.  Deneen  was  nominated.  On  his 
retirement  from  the  governorship  in  January,  1  904,  Governor 
Yates  took  up  his  residence  in  Springfield. 

Richard  Yates  was  appointed  by  Governor  Dunne  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Board  of  Public  Utilities. 

He  was  married  to  Miss  Helen  Wadsworth  in  Jackson- 
ville, October  28,  1888.  He  is  now  Assistant  Attorney  Gen- 
eral of  the  State  of  Illinois. 


CHARLES  SAMUEL  DENEEN,   1905-1913. 

Lawrence  Y.  Sherman,  Lieutenant  Governor. 
John  G.  Oglesby,  Lieutenant  Governor. 

Charles  S.  Deneen  was  born  in  Edwardsville,  Illinois,  May 
4,  1863.  He  is  a  representative  of  one  of  the  oldest  families 
of  Illinois.  Governor  Deneen  received  his  early  education  in 
the  public  schools  of  Lebanon  and  graduated  from  McKendree 
College  in  1882.  He  taught  school  in  Jasper  and  Madison 
Counties  during  which  time  he  studied  law.  In  1  885  he  went 
to  Chicago  and  completed  his  legal  studies  in  the  Union  Col- 
lege of  Law.  He  taught  for  a  time  in  the  public  night  schools 
of  Chicago. 

He  early  became  interested  in  local  politics  in  Chicago 
and  he  was  elected  to  the  office  of  prosecuting  attorney  of  Cook 
County.  In  conducting  the  duties  of  this  office  Mr.  Deneen 
achieved  a  high  reputation  for  ability  and  sound  judgment. 
In  1893  he  was  elected  to  the  General  Assembly  of  the  State. 
In  1  904  he  was  nominated  for  governor  of  the  State  by  the 
Republican  party  after  a  prolonged  contest  in  the  State  Con- 
vention, memorable  in  the  annals  of  the  Republican  party  as 
the  "Deadlock  Convention."  He  was  elected  and  was  inaug- 
urated in  January,  1905.  He  was  re-elected  in  1908. 

During  Governor  Deneen's  administration  much  import- 
ant and  constructive  legislation  was  enacted,  among  which  may 
be  mentioned  the  Direct  Primary  Law,  Municipal  Courts  for 
Chicago,  the  creation  of  a  State  Highway  Commission  and 
many  other  measures  of  great  importance. 

Mr.  Deneen  married  Miss  Bina  Day  Maloney,  of  Mt.  Car- 
roll, Illinois,  May  10,  1  89  1 .  Governor  Deneen  resides  with 
his  family  in  Chicago. 


EDWARD  FITZSIMMONS  DUNNE,   1913-1917. 

Barratt  O'Hara,  Lieutenant  Governor. 

Edward  F.  Dunne  was  born  at  Waterville,  Connecticut, 
October  12,  1853.  He  was  one  year  old  when  his  parents 
removed  to  Peoria,  Illinois,  where  his  father  attained  political 
and  business  prominence. 

His  education  was  obtained  in  the  public  schools  of  Peoria 
and  at  Trinity  College,  University  of  Dublin,  where  he  reached 
the  position  of  honor  man  in  his  class,  but  graduation  was  de- 
nied him  by  his  father's  financial  reverses  which  recalled  him 
to  Peoria. 

There  he  worked  for  a  year  in  his  father's  mill,  meanwhile 
reading  law.  In  1876  he  began  a  systematic  course  in  law  in 
Chicago  and  two  years  later  was  admitted  to  the  bar. 

For  fifteen  years  he  devoted  himself  to  an  ardent  practice 
of  his  profession.  He  was  associated  during  this  period  with 
many  distinguished  men  among  them  Judge  Scates  and  Con- 
gressman Hynes. 

In  1  892  he  was  elected  to  fill  a  vacancy  on  the  Circuit 
bench  of  Cook  County,  and  in  1  89  7  was  re-elected  to  the  same 
office  and  served  until  1905.  In  that  year  he  was  elected 
Mayor  of  Chicago,  serving  from  1905  to  1907. 

His  marriage  to  Miss  Elizabeth  J.  Kelly  of  Chicago  took 
place  August  1  6,  1  88  1 . 

Governor  Dunne  was  nominated  for  Governor  of  Illinois 
oy  the  Democratic  party  in  1912  and  was  elected  in  November 
of  that  year. 

Among  the  most  important  measures  adopted  during 
Governor  Dunne's  administration  were  the  Deep  Waterway 
Bill  and  the  Woman's  Suffrage  Law. 

An  account  of  the  life  and  services  of  Governor  Dunne 
written  by  his  private  secretary,  William  L.  Sullivan,  was  pub- 
lished in  1916. 

Governor  Dunne  and  his  family  reside  in  Chicago. 


FRANK  ORREN  LOWDEN,   1917- 

John  G.   Oglesby,  Lieutenant  Governor. 

Frank  Orren  Lowden  was  born  in  Sunrise  City,  Minnesota. 
January  26,  1861.  When  he  was  seven  years  old  his  father 
removed  to  Point  Pleasant,  Hardin  County,  Iowa,  where  he 
purchased  a  farm.  The  son  worked  on  the  farm  in  the  sum- 
mer, and  attended  school  during  the  winter.  At  fifteen  years 
of  age  he  began  to  teach  country  schools  and  taught  at  Rough 
Woods  and  other  places  in  Hardin  County,  Iowa. 

Frank  O.  Lowden  took  a  partial  course  at  the  Iowa  Agri- 
cultural and  Mechanical  College  at  Ames,  Iowa.  At  the  age 
of  twenty  he  entered  the  freshman  class  of  the  State  University 
at  Iowa  City,  Iowa.  Although  obliged  to  remain  away  from 
the  University  during  the  Junior  year  he  returned  at  the  be- 
ginning of  the  Senior  term  and  graduated  as  valedictorian  in 
June,  1  885.  He  became  professor  of  Latin  and  Mathematics 
in  Burlington  High  School,  and  taught  one  year.  He  removed 
to  Chicago,  where  he  obtained  a  position  in  the  law  office 
of  Dexter,  Herrick  &  Allen. 

In  September,  1  886,  he  entered  the  Union  College  of  Law 
now  the  Northwestern  University  Law  School  at  Chicago.  He 
was  graduated  in  June,  1887,  and  actively  practiced  law  until 
1902. 

Governor  Lowden  was  Lieutenant  Colonel,  First  Infantry, 
Illinois  National  Guard,  1  898.  Becoming  active  in  politics,  he 
was  a  candidate  for  Governor,  being  one  of  the  seven  candi- 
dates in  the  famous  deadlock  convention  of  1  904.  Colonel 
Lowden  was  elected  to  Congress  as  a  successor  to  Robert  Rob- 
erts Hitt  to  fill  out  the  unexpired  term  in  the  Fifty-ninth  Con- 
gress. He  served  two  full  terms  and  voluntarily  retired. 

In  November,  1916,  Mr.  Lowden  was  elected  Governor, 
and  was  inaugurated  January  8,  1917. 

Although  less  than  a  year  has  elapsed  since  the  inaugura- 
tion of  Governor  Lowden,  much  important  legislation  has  been 
enacted  through  his  influence.  One  of  the  most  important 
of  these  was  the  consolidation  of  one  hundred  State  Boards 
and  Departments  under  the  new  Administrative  Code. 

Governor  Lowden  was  married  April  29,  1896,  in  Chi- 
cago, to  Miss  Florence  Pullman,  daughter  of  George  M.  Pull- 


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UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS-URBANA 


